Wringer rollers

ABSTRACT

A WRINGER ASSEMBLY HAVING A PAIR OR ROLLERS BETWEEN WHICH WET MATERIAL IS TRANSPORTABLE AND COMPRESSED TO WRING EXCESS MOISTURE THEREFROM. EACH WRINGER ROLLER HAS MEANS FOR LIMITING BOWING OF DEFLECTION THEREOF INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF.

Feb. 2, 1911 ,D;G. ENN ETAL 3,559,262

WRINGER ROLLERS Filed June 28. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTURS John D. Glenn Owen G. Robbms Warren C. Schwemer Jpseph R. Silvermon BY M United States Patent 3,559,262 WRINGER ROLLERS John D. Glenn and Owen G. Robbins, Dallas, Warren C.

Schwemer, Arlington, and Joseph R. Silverman, Dallas, Tex., assignors to Ling-Temco-Vought, Inc., Dallas, Tex. Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 368,038,

May 18, 1964. This application June 28, 1967, Ser.

Int. Cl. D061 61/02, 67/02 US. Cl. 29-130 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A wringer assembly having a pair of rollers between which wet material is transportable and compressed to wring excess moisture therefrom. Each wringer roller has means for limiting bowing or deflection thereof intermediate the ends thereof.

This application is a continuation in part of our c0- pending application Ser. No. 368,038, filed May 18, 1964, now Pat. No. 3,431,753.

This invention relates to a roller usable in wringers.

An object is to provide a new and improved roller having an inner longitudinal support means and an outer cylinder extending concentrically about the inner support means and secured thereto at longitudinally spaced locations intermediate the ends of the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder so that the load imposed on the central portions of the outer cylinder is transferred to the support means at longitudinally spaced locations and on opposite sides of the mid-point of the support means.

A still further object is to provide a wringer roller having an inner longitudinal support member provided with the end shafts which are rotatably mountable in suitable bearing means, an outer cylinder concentrically disposed about the inner support member, and a pair of annular load members rigidly secured between the support member and the outer cylinder rigidly securing the outer cylinder to the support member at locations spaced substantially equidistantly from the mid-point of the support member whereby the loads imposed on the wringer roller are transmitted to the inner support member at a pair of longitudinally spaced locations thereof through the load members.

A still further object is to provide a new and improved wringer roller having an inner longitudinal support member, an outer cylinder concentrically disposed about the inner member, and a pair of annular load members between the inner member and the cylinder imposed on the outer cylinder to the inner cylinder at longitudinally spaced locations, the outer cylinder being connected to said load rings at spaced locations by means permitting limited yieldable movement of the portions of the cylinder contacting the load rings.

A still further object is to provide a roller wherein the outer cylinder is provided with a resilient coating.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the reading of the following description of a device constructed in accordance with the invention, and references to the accompanying drawings thereof, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged view of one of the wringer assemblies embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1; and,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1, and,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view.

The wringer assembly embodying the invention is mounted on a suitable top support frame 192 of the Washing apparatus which may include bottom side angle members 193, extending above and on opposite ends of the tanks and secured, as by welding, to the vertical columns or posts 194 which also support the tanks. The top frame may also include a pair of top angle members 196 which are spaced above and extend parallel to the bottom angle members. Each top angle member is secured to the bottom angle member over which it is disposed by vertical members 197 and 198, inwardly convergent end members 201 and 202 and roller mount angle members 204a, 204b, and 2040.

Brace members 206 and 207 extend between the vertical member 197 and the members 204a and 1%, respectively. Brace members 208 and 209 extend between the vertical member 198 and the members 2041) and 196, respectively.

The various angle members of the top frame at each side thereof constitute a side truss section and these two side sections may be connected by transverse angle members 210 and 211, which connect the bottom and top angle members, respectively. The members of the top frame are welded to provide a very rigid strong support for the wringer assemblies and the direction changing rollers mounted thereon.

The lower ringer roller 21a of the ringer assembly 20a has its end shafts 220 rotatably mounted in a transversely aligned pair of pillow blocks 221 secured to the top frame by means of bolts 222 which extend through aligned apertures in the bases 223 of the pillow blocks and mount plates 224 welded to the members 204a.

The end shafts 225 of the upper roller 21b of the wringer assembly 20a are rotatably mounted in suitable bearing assemblies 226 carried by slide plates 227, Opposite lower and upper side edge portions of each slide plate are slidable in the grooves of the upper and lower channel guides 228 and 229 rigidly secured to the upwardly and rearwardly inclined angle members 231 and 232, respectively, of the top frame at its opposite side. The channel guides may be welded to the frame members between which they extend. The angle member 232 extends on each side of the frame between the frame members 201 and 196 and the member 232 extends between the frame members 204a and 196.

Each bearing assembly may include an annular support plate 235 which is rigidly secured to its slide plate by bolts 236 and has a central aperture in which an outer race 238, the rollers 239 and the inner race 240 of the bearing assembly are disposed. The end shafts of the roller 21b extend through the inner faces of the two bearing assemblies.

Each slide plate is biased upwardly and rearwardly by a pair of outer springs 245 whose lower ends bear against brackets 246 secured, as by welding, to the frame member 204a and whose upper ends bear against the laterally outwardly extending lugs 248 of a plate 249 which may be secured to the support plate 235 by the upper pair of bolts 236 which secure the support plate to the slide plate, and thus also to the slide plate. The lower portions of the springs are disposed about lower guide pins 250 rigidly secured to the brackets 246 and their upper portions are disposed about upper guide pins 252 rigidly aflixed to the lugs 248.

Each slide plate is also biased toward its upper position by a pair of inner springs 255 whose lower ends bear against brackets 256 secured to the mount plate 224 and whose upper ends bear against the lugs 258 of an inner plate 259 also secured to the slide plate by the upper pair of bolts 236. The lower end portions of the springs extend about lower guide pins 260 secured to the brackets 256 and their upper end portions extend about upper guide pins 262 secured to the lugs 258. The facing ends of the upper and lower guide pins of each spring are spaced when the upper roller 21b is in its uppermost position, and engage when the upper roller 21b is moved toward the lower roller 21a to limit the movement of the upper roller toward the lower roller and the force with which the movable rollers 21a and 21b can compress the belts and the material carried thereby.

Each slide plate is connected to the piston rod 265 of a pneumatic ram 266 whose cylinder 267 is connected to the end member 201 by a pivot pin 268 which extends through suitable aligned apertures in the cylinder lugs 269 and a lug 270 secured to the end member 201. The legs 271 on the lower end of the piston rod are disposed on opposite sides of the upper end portion of the slide plate and are secured thereto by a bolt 272.

When air under pressure is introduced into the two cylinders of the pneumatic rams of the wringer assembly 20a through their upper fittings 273 and at the same time the cylinders are vented through lower fittings 274, the pistons 271 are moved downwardly and move the upper roller toward the lower roller against the resistance of the springs. Conversely, when the fittings 273 are vented, the force of the springs moves the upper roller away from the lower roller.

When the washing apparatus is in operation, fluid under predetermined pressure is introduced into the ram cylinders through the upper fittings 273 while the lower fittings are vented so that the upper roller of the wringer assembly 20a is biased with a predetermined force toward the lower wringer roller 21a. Whenever the washing apparatus is not in operation, the upper fittings 273 are vented and the force of the springs moves the upper roller away from the lower roller. If desired, air under pressure may be introduced into the lower fittings 274 of the cylinders whenever the washing apparatus is not in operation to aid in this upward movement of the upper roller. It will be apparent that the top roller 21b is free to move away from the lower roller against the force of the air pressure transmitted to the cylinders to permit material of different thicknesses and the belts transporting the material to move past the rollers as the conveyor belts move therebetween since the air trapped in the cylinders is compressible.

The two wringer rollers of the wringer assemblies are all identical in structure. Each wringer roller includes a central or inner longitudinal support element or cylinder 280 to whose opposite ends are secured the discs 281 of the end shafts 225. The discs are telescoped in opposite ends of the cylinder and are welded thereto. The outer cylinder 282 of the roller extends concentrically about the inner cylinder and is held in spaced relation thereto by pair of spacing or load rings 284 and 285 rigidly secured, as by welding, to the inner cylinder. The outer cylinder is provided with a plurality of longitudinally and circumferentially spaced weld holes 288 which are aligned with the load rings and through which welds 289 may be made to rigidly secure the outer cylinder to the load rings. The two load rings are positioned intermediate the ends of the inner and outer cylinders, for example, one-fifth to one-fourth the distance from the ends thereof. Loads imposed on the outer cylinder by the belts are thus transferred to the inner cylinders at points spaced inwardly of their ends whereby the defiection of the wringer rollers is minimized. The outer cylinder of each wringer roller has a thin coat or cover 290 of a resilient substance such as rubber.

It will be apparent that if the rollers had merely one cylinder connected to the end shafts 225, such cylinders would tend to bow or deflect outwardly intermediate their ends and between the points of support of the end shafts, as material of width smaller than the lengths of the rollers transported by the belts passed therebetween, to a much greater degree than would the rollers embodying the invention since the loads imposed on the central portions of the outer cylinders 282 between the load rings are not imposed on the central or inner cylinders 280 at the central portions thereof but at the locations of the load rings which are preferably spaced equadistant from the mid-points of the rollers. The full widths of the material transported by the belts between the rollers of each wringer assembly are thus subjected to a substantially constant equal wringing or compressing force throughout the transverse lines or areas of contacts of the rollers with the belts and all portions of the material are thus compressed with substantially the same force and are uniformly freed of moisture by the wringer assembly since the rollers of each wringer assembly do not bend or bow outwardly intermediate their ends due to the support of the outer cylinders by the load rings on the outer cylinders at longitudinally spaced locations intermediate the ends of the inner cylinders or members of the rollers to which their end shafts are connected.

It will be apparent that while the wringer assembly and the wringers embodying the invention have been illustrated and described as used in a washing apparatus having a pair of foraminous belts between and by which materials to be washed is transported through wash and rinse liquids and between the rollers of each wringer assembly, the wringer assembly and wringer rollers may be used in other washing apparatus which does not have such transport belts and the materials to be washed, such as sheets, towels, and the like, are temporarily sewed to form a belt for transport through the washing apparatus, and the wringer rollers may be used in other wringer assemblies than that illustrated and described herein.

It will now be seen that a new and improved wringer assembly has been illustrated and described which includes a pair of wringer rollers rotatable about parallel spaced axes which have means, such as the springs 245 and 255, biasing the upper roller perpendicularly to the axes and away from the lower roller; means, such as the pneumatic rams, for moving such upper roller toward the lower roller to compress material being moved between the rollers and to wring or extract excess moisture therefrom.

It will further be seen that the wringer apparatus has means for limiting movement of the upper roller toward the lower roller to limit the force exerted by the rollers on the belts and material being transported therebetween and on each other.

It will further be seen that a new and improved wringer roller has been illustrated and described which resists or minimizes the bowing or deflection of the roller between and about the points of its support if the material being compressed thereby is of lesser width than the roller or non-uniform in thickness.

It will further been seen that the new and improved roller has a central inner longitudinal support member, such as the inner cylinder, which has means at its opposite ends, such as the end shafts, for supporting the roller for rotation about its longitudinal axis, an outer cylindrical member concentrically disposed about and spaced from the central member, and load transferring means, such as the load rings, between the central and outer members for transferring the loads imposed on the outer member to the inner member at longitudinally spaced locations intermediate the ends of the inner and outer members and spaced from the middle or mid-point of the inner member.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 4 of the drawing, the roller 300 is similar to the rollers 21, differing therefrom in that its outer cylinder or member 282a is not rigidly connected to the load transfer rings, such as the load ring 285a illustrated in FIG. 4, but is capable of limited movement relative thereto. Accordingly, the elements of the roller 300 have been provided with the same reference characters to which the subscript a has been added, as the corresponding elements of the rollers 21.

The outer member 282a at the locations of the load rings is provided with arcuate surfaces 302 having a radius of curvature which preferably extends from and perpendicularly to the central axis of the roller. Each arcuate surface 302 faces outwardly toward the adjacent end of the outer member. Each load ring has a similar arcuate surface 303 which slidably engages the adjacent outer member surface 302 so that the portion of the outer member may slide thereon inwardly as the middle portion of the outer cylinder between the load rings is subjected to a radially inward force and may slide thereon outwardly as such load is released.

The sliding movement of the portions of the outer member at the load rings is limited by a plurality of pins 305 which extend inwardly through radial apertures 306 of the outer member into the bores 307 of resilient bodies 309 disposed in circumferentially spaced apertures 310 of the load rings. The pins may be rigidly secured to the outer member by welds after the assembly of the outer member on the inner member and before the molding of the resilient cover 290a on the outer cylinder.

Each load ring prevents longitudinal movement of the outer member on the inner member 280a toward the adjacent end of the outer member and each load ring is itself held against outward longitudinal movement on the inner member by a stop sleeve 12 telescoped over the inner member and secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by a set screw 313. Inward movement of each load ring on the inner member is limited by the engagement of its annular side surface 314 with an annular stop shoulder 315 of the inner member.

The use of the rollers 300 instead of the rollers 301 is preferred in installations wherein the outer members 282a are subjected to recurrent relatively great radially inwardly directed forces at locations between the load rings which would tend to cause rigid connections between the load rings and the outer member, such as the welds 289 of the rollers 21, to fail as by cracking. The slidable engagement of the arcuate surfaces 303 of the load rings 285a with the similar surfaces 302 of the outer member and the yieldable connection provided by the pins 305 and the resilient bodies 309 permits the middle portion of the outer member between the load rings to deflect inwardly but the degree of this deflection is, of course, limited.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory only, and changes in the details of the construction illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A wringer roller including: an inner longitudinal member; means at opposite ends of said inner member for supporting said inner member for rotation about its longitudinal axis; an outer cylindrical member concentrically disposed about and spaced from the inner member; and load transfer means disposed between said inner and outer members for transferring loads imposed on the outer member to the inner member at longitudinally spaced locations intermediate the ends of said members and spaced from and on opposite sides of the mid-point of said outer member, said load transfer means comprising a pair of rings disposed between said inner and outer members, said load rings having external arcuate surfaces and said outer member having longitudinally spaced internal arcuate surfaces engageable with said load ring arcuate surfaces for permitting movement of portions of said outer member at the locations of said rings relative to said rings, said arcuate surfaces of said outer member curving longitudinally and radially outwardly in opposite directions toward opposite adjacent ends thereof at locations spaced inwardly of opposite ends of said outer member whereby one of said rings limits longitudinal movement of said outer member relative to said inner member in one longitudinal direction and the other load ring limits longitudinal movement of said outer member relative to said inner member in a second longitudinal direction opposite said one direction.

2. The wringer roller of claim 1, and limit means yieldably resisting movement of said portions of said outer member relative to said rings.

3. The ringer roller of claim 2, wherein said limit means includes longitudinally spaced stop members rigid with one of said outer members and said rings, and resilient means co-engageable with said stop members and secured to the other of said outer member and said rings.

4. The wringer roller of claim 1, wherein said arcuate surface of each ring and of the outer member engaged thereby have a radius of curvature extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said roller.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,055,083 9/1962 Stobi 162B 3,094,771 6/1963 Robertson 100162B 3,161,125 12/1964 Hornbostel 29-130X 3,253,323 5/1966 Saueressig 29113 3,336,648 8/1967 Alexeif 29113 3,343,484 9/ 1967 Dahlgren 118--262X FOREIGN PATENTS 669,186 3/1952 Gt. Britain 29-129 699,199 12/1964 Canada l00162B 1,021,279 11/ 1952 France 29-129 WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner L. G. MACKLIN, Assistant Examiner 

